Video poker machines blamed for growing number of women getting hooked on gambling
SALEM, Ore. Some groups say there's no doubt about the "feminization" of gambling. The National Council on Problem Gambling is seeing an uptick in compulsive gambling by women in states where the action may be as close as a corner deli or tavern with video poker or electronic keno.
One official says a key attraction is that the games often are located in places where women feel more comfortable -- coffee shops and bowling alleys.
A woman in Oregon -- who wants to be identified only by her first name, Maryann -- says she started playing video poker ten years ago and figures she lost 60-thousand dollars before admitting she had a problem and enrolled in a treatment program.
Nationwide, men make up two-thirds of problem gamblers.
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